The Club Scene – Winter, 1991

Safely back home in California, now seems a good time to reflect upon our traveling Moss Road Show this past summer. Over 18,000 miles saw us attending 19 different British car oriented events, bearing the Moss message that we really care about keeping your classic going strong because that’s all we do!

As we last left you, we were heading to Chicago for the MGB Convention, a very well-attended meeting, superbly organized by the Chicagoland MGB Club (which counts over 200 members in their ranks). A highlight of this event was the funkhana based on the theme of the “Blues Brothers” in general and Chicago-type activities in particular. For instance, to start the event, you had to hot-wire a car (do they really steal cars in the Windy City?). Then, dressed in dark glasses and fedoras a la Jake & Elwood, you had to shoot a few baskets from the car in the style of Michael Jordan, before driving the rear wheel over an electrical contact to make a tiny helicopter circulate around a six foot tall Sears Tower! All this, plus a Chicago-style Friday feast, added to a great weekend. A word of caution here to those of you who trailer your car to an event. The winner of the late model MGB class, Doug Brown, has trailered classic cars for over 15 years, but still made an elementary mistake…he tried to move his trailer with the MGB not fastened down! Make sure whenever you move your trailer everything is secured. Despite his mishap, Doug recovered to take first place with his super 1980 Snapdragon MGB.

Then, back east 900 miles to the Austin-Healey Conclave in Old Sturbridge Village, Massachusetts. The organization of this meeting was without parallel, and the North East Austin-Healey Club went out of their way to ensure that everyone had a great time. The sight of big Healeys tearing around the parking lot flat out in the driving tests will stay with us for a long time. This is what it’s all about! Even Moss chairman, Howard Goldman, was persuaded to enter this event in a borrowed Sprite! And, after a recount, was declared winner of his class! All this has led to the installation of a bigger engine in the Moss Bugeye to show the way home at Conclave ’92 in Breckenridge, Colorado. The Saturday evening award’s banquet was held in a huge hall, where diners were surrounded by Healeys of unusual or historical interest—a real touch of class!

In between the major meetings, we were also able to visit a few one day events, such as the Day of Triumph at the Lars Anderson Motor Museum in Brookline (a suburb of Boston). A picnic-like atmosphere made this a most enjoyable day, with Bob Totten and his crew from the New England Triumphs deserving every credit. The same location also saw a great British Car Day the following weekend. We then called in at our east coast facility in New Jersey, to pick up the Moss Triumph TR3, which had been in the showroom. We then towed it all the way back to California! Just over 10,000 miles in nine weeks—coast to coast! And I still get asked, “Where can I get a job like yours?”

After our brief return to California (four entire days!), we headed out to Grand Rapids, Michigan, where John Twist held his 15th Annual MG Summer Party. This time over 550 MGs were present for three days of fun and competition. This culminated in a parade of over 400 cars on the track at Grattan Raceway before everyone headed home, secure in the knowledge that this is now the biggest MG event on the North American Continent! Our time out on the road finished with three great British Car events in Chicago, Kansas City and St. Louis. We extend our thanks and congratulations to all those who worked so hard to make these meetings so memorable.

As you might imagine, the Moss Club & Event R.V. attracted quite a bit of attention as we traveled across nineteen different states, with some of it in an unusual way! For instance, there was a car of German origin that suddenly cut across in front of us in upper New York state. After I had uttered a few choice Anglo-Saxon phrases, he then proceeded to fall behind us, only to come past us again with the passenger holding up a cap bearing the MG logo! As we approached a rest area a few miles later, he again slowed down in front of us and indicated that we should follow him into the rest area. We did, and after ascertaining that he was indeed a Moss customer (Bill Bremer, of Cape Elizabeth, Maine), had a very pleasant conversation about T-type light bulbs in the rain!

The CB radio crackled into life, “Hey, Moss, do you have parts for Austin-Healeys?” from a pickup truck that had just overtaken us! We replied in the affirmative, and with my navigator writing furiously, consulted the catalog for big Healeys and gave the numbers of the parts required for this aficionado from New Mexico! Thanks for the business!

Our Mossmobile is often accompanied as we drive to or from meets, by some of those “funny little furrin cars” as the truckers describe them. Two Healey 3000s from Chicago drove with us for miles through Ohio, and two trailered MGB show cars saw us into Pennsylvania before heading for home. British cars often attach themselves just in front, or right behind the R.V., and if they have a CB radio, it makes the journey all the more pleasant as we talk about our favorite method of transport, be it Austin-Healey, Triumph, MG or Jaguar!

Another year is nearly over, and we must have met and talked with a zillion British car enthusiasts, assuring them that Moss will be around for a long time to come, supplying those hard to find parts for their precious British iron! It was a pleasure and privilege to meet each and every one of you. and we look forward to being down your way in 1992.